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Obama tweets congrats to Dayton hoops team, player

Like millions of Americans, President Obama is watching the NCAA basketball tournament -- and like thousands, is tweeting about it. Obama posted a Twitter message Saturday after underdog Dayton bumped Syracuse

Obama tweets congrats to Dayton hoops team, player

President Obama at a "Twitter Town Hall" in 2011.(Photo: Charles Dharapak, AP)

President Obama tweeted about the NCAA basketball tournament Saturday, and paid tribute to a specific player.

"Congrats to the @DaytonFlyers on a huge upset win! Devin Oliver, I may need to take you up on that pick-up game one of these days," said the presidential Twitter message signed with the tell-take "bo."

Obama posted Saturday after underdog Dayton -- an 11th seed in the tournament's South region -- bumped 3rd-seeded Syracuse out of the tournament with a 55-53 win.

It turns out that Oliver, a 6-7 senior forward who had 13 rebounds and 7 points in the win, met Obama when the president visited Kalamazoo Central High School in 2010.

Oliver said he challenged the president to a game of one-on-one back then, reports the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Asked about the president's shout-out, Oliver said: "I'm definitely going to tweet him back and see what's going on ... Hopefully, I can try to get a game with him."

"The president is known to unwind by watching sports on television and reporters could see basketball games on the screen in the front cabin of the president's plane during a flight to Florida on Thursday, the first day of the tournament.

"The president leaves for Europe and the Middle East on Sunday with the crisis in Ukraine a pressing global problem. Not everyone on Twitter shared Obama's enthusiasm for basketball.

"'You have bigger issues to be worrying about,' one person tweeted in response."